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DEPARTMENT OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
TRAVEL AND
TOURISM PROMOTION FUND BUDGET SUMMARY
PROGRAM MISSION: To accelerate the
Arlington economy to add wealth, employment and quality to the community.
FY 2005 PRIORITIES:
-
Position
Arlington as a regional, national and world class location for visitors and
small meetings, and execute measurable sales and marketing activities.
- Develop private sector partnerships to
maximize marketing efforts.
-
Collaboratively create an attraction strategy.
- Improve
the County's tourism position in relation to the rest of the region.
PRINCIPAL PROGRAMS:
This Business Unit promotes and markets Arlington in ways
that distinguish it regionally and nationally as the best location in which to
stay, shop and dine when visiting or meeting in the greater Washington D.C.
area. This includes use of promotions,
direct selling, internet marketing, advertising and public relations in
measurable activities as follows:
-
Provide
information and services for visitors to the region through a variety of
channels including the Visitor Orientation Center, Arlington Visitors Guide,
Group & Meeting Planner Guide, and website.
-
Develop and
distribute story lines, photography and appropriate information to identified
print media outlets to extend the messaging through earned media (editorial
placement versus paid advertising).
- Create targeted advertising focused on
identifying the leisure traveler that creates a response to call the toll free
number to obtain a visitors guide or to visit the website. Both the website and visitors guide will be
positioned to encourage a hotel booking in addition to providing a wealth of
information.
- Conduct direct selling activities through
account identification and solicitation in appropriate marketplaces with
personal face-to-face calls, telephone solicitation, direct marketing and
e-marketing as well as exhibiting at customer gatherings.
- Measure results of activities and
understand the return on investment.
SIGNIFICANT BUDGET CHANGES: The
FY 2005 proposed expenditure budget for the Travel and Tourism Promotion Fund
is $1,159,069 an increase of $97,296 or 9% from the FY 2004 adopted budget.
-
Personnel expenditures reflect normal salary and benefits increases
($8,869).
-
The non-personnel expenditure increase ($88,427) is due
to the normal cost escalator for the lease of space for the Visitors
Orientation Center at Pentagon Row ($10,427) and increased support for
marketing efforts ($78,000).
-
Revenues reflect an increase in the Transient Occupancy
Tax ($11,400), the County Store Revenue ($6,000) and an increase in the rent
grant ($10,427).
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TRAVEL &
TOURISM PROMOTION FUND SUMMARY
|
|
FY 2003
|
FY 2004
|
FY 2005
|
% Change:
|
|
Actual
|
Adopted
|
Proposed
|
'04 to '05
|
|
Personnel
|
$542,240
|
$670,094
|
$678,963
|
1%
|
|
Non-Personnel
|
464,694
|
391,679
|
480,106
|
23%
|
|
Total Expenditures
|
$1,006,934
|
$1,061,773
|
$1,159,069
|
9%
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
TOT Revenue
|
702,602
|
744,500
|
755,900
|
2%
|
|
County Store Revenue
|
7,476
|
2,000
|
8,000
|
300%
|
|
Miscellaneous/Grants
|
88,648
|
59,773
|
70,200
|
17%
|
|
General Fund Transfer
|
247,000
|
247,000
|
247,000
|
-
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Authorized
|
10.8
|
10.8
|
10.8
|
|
|
Total Funded
|
10.8
|
10.8
|
10.8
|
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PERFORMANCE MEASURES:
|
FY 2001
Actual
|
FY 2002
Actual
|
FY 2003
Actual
|
FY 2004
Estimate
|
FY 2005
Estimate
|
FY 2005
Goal
|
|
Mission Outcome Measures
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
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Qualified
sales leads
|
138
|
146
|
160
|
220
|
231
|
242
|
|
Group
room nights of leads
|
36,626
|
31,393
|
48,673
|
55,000
|
57,750
|
60,600
|
|
Group
room nights booked
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
11,627
|
15,000
|
15,750
|
16,537
|
|
TOT
generated ($000) ACVS
|
$762
|
$653
|
$703
|
$745
|
$756
|
$762
|
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Hotel
occupancy (percent)
|
69.30%
|
67.80%
|
67.90%
|
68.00%
|
68.10%
|
68.20%
|
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Average
daily rate
|
$117.49
|
$120.93
|
$121.04
|
$122.09
|
$122.25
|
$122.64
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
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Customer Measures
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Percentage of random checks
of DED contacts that rank services rendered as excellent
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
95%
|
99%
|
|
Customer satisfaction survey
conducted with Economic Development Commission - % ranking DED services
as excellent
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
98%
|
99%
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
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Workload Measures
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|
|
|
|
|
|
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Visitor Orientation Center walk-ins
|
50,173
|
39,622
|
31,387
|
31,204
|
51,600
|
55,750
|
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Visitors Guides & Info mailed
|
76,173
|
65,000
|
65,000
|
71,000
|
73,600
|
74,000
|
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Visitors Guides - other distributions.
|
123,827
|
135,000
|
135,000
|
135,000
|
140,000
|
140,000
|
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Visitor
Center – calls in
|
13,600
|
4,093
|
3,762
|
3,544
|
5,165
|
5,860
|
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Internet
visits to ACVS
|
67,079
|
82,776
|
60,905
|
81,242
|
116,988
|
120,000
|
|
Internet
information requests
|
1,777
|
1,923
|
1,621
|
2,400
|
5,250
|
5,500
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FUTURE
BUDGET CONSIDERATIONS: The following will impact the Travel
and Tourism Promotion Fund budget in the future:
-
To successfully market Arlington as a tourist and
visitor destination, funding should increase in order to expand to markets that
currently receive little or no attention.
-
The approval of the Conference Center Strategic
Initiative along with the initiation of the 2% TOT will move the County toward
an additional component of the Meetings and Conference Market that was not
previously available.
TRAVEL AND TOURISM PROMOTION FUND
FUND STATEMENT
|
FY 2003
Actual
|
FY 2004
Adopted
|
FY 2004
Revised
|
FY 2005
Proposed
|
|
|
Beginning Balance, July 1
|
$157,188
|
$56,169
|
$195,980
|
$187,480
|
|
Transient Occupancy Tax Revenue
|
702,602
|
744,500
|
744,500
|
755,900
|
|
|
County Store Revenue
|
7,476
|
2,000
|
2,000
|
8,000
|
|
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Gifts & Miscellaneous
|
|
|
|
|
|
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Grant
|
88,648
|
59,773
|
59,773
|
70,200
|
|
|
General Fund Transfer In
|
247,000
|
247,000
|
247,000
|
247,000
|
|
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Total Balance, Revs and Transfers In
|
1,202,914
|
1,109,442
|
1,249,253
|
1,268,580
|
|
|
Personnel
|
542,240
|
670,094
|
670,094
|
678,963
|
|
|
Operating
|
464,694
|
391,679
|
391,679
|
480,106
|
|
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Total Expenditures
|
$1,006,934
|
1,061,773
|
1,061,773
|
1,159,069
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Closing Balance, June 30
|
$195,980
|
$ 47,669
|
$187,480
|
$109,511
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